Lipid tethering of breast tumor cells reduces cell aggregation during mammosphere formation.

ABSTRACT: Mammosphere assays are widely used in vitro to identify prospective cancer-initiating stem cells that can propagate clonally to form spheres in free-floating conditions. However, the traditional mammosphere assay inevitably introduces cell aggregation that interferes with the measurement of true mammosphere forming efficiency. We developed a method to reduce tumor cell aggregation and increase the probability that the observed mammospheres formed are clonal in origin. Tethering individual tumor cells to lipid anchors prevents cell drift while maintaining free-floating characteristics. This enables real-time monitoring of single tumor cells as they divide to form mammospheres. Monitoring tethered breast cancer cells provided detailed size information that correlates directly to previously p

SUBMITTER: Bhandary L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7865010 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature